Pinstriping advice for a youngster like myself!?

[Louiehenry]

Hey guys! I'm sure at least a few of y'all (or probably all) are better at painting cars than I am, so I am coming to y'all for advice.
With my head in the clouds looking for a junk pagoda on the ground, I happened to spot a beautiful old Cadillac el dorado and it had the most magnificent Pinstriping job. I was wonderin if any of y'all had advice for a clean, classy way to do that on a 113 and if you knew of the best place on the car to do it. I thought I might emulate the 50s and run it from the center of the emblem, to the tops of the fenders, and run that all the way back to the centerline on the back end. Anyone have any ideas or experience?

[mdsalemi]

Don't do it.

No faster way to scatter the look of this beauty than to foul it with pin stripes. Next thing you know, you'll want to put Landau bars on the hard top, along with covering hard top with cloth, and any and all manner of dressing up a car that is fully and beautifully dressed as it left the factory.

Excess chrome trim, pin stripes, fender flares and all that is best left to hot rods, not Pagodas.

Of course you can do what you want--but with less than 10K on an original car, about the only thing you should be doing is gently maintaining it, and driving it now and then to keep it limber. While this may be my opinion, it is one shared by "the market" that places value on things.

[Bonnyboy]

Search "customized mercedes pagoda" in Google and there are a couple examples of what people have done.   Personally I think a "race" theme with cut down windshield, recaro buckets, roll bar, low profile tires and some grills like the 300sl would look cool.

Good luck finding your $2,500 project.

[Larry & Norma]

 

[Neil Thompson]

Larry, someone's nicked your springs!

Neil

[Larry & Norma]

Bit of a rough landing coming over that crest

[garymand]

Louiehenry,  what's next, 22" chrome bling advice?  You really know how to yank our chains

Keep it coming, we can use the elevated adrenalin levels.

[bogeyman]

Pinstripes on a Pagoda is like lipstick on a pig - only backwards...

[thelews]

A thin pinstripe at the line at the top of the front fender, door and rear fender is the line to follow.  One or two thin ones.

Such intolerance from the peanut gallery.

[kampala]

There was in interesting  start of a pin-stripe discussion in a past post ... the discussion diverted ... but has a couple of photos of pin-striping on a pagoda ...

http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=17730.0

[DickLewis]

You cannot be serious are you.  Please do not pinstripe.  That is a no no.

[georgem]

 Gee guys you are a tough crew. Hasn't Louie by now convinced you all that he is a fluffy dice hanging from the rear vision mirror sort of guy?  Hell, Louie, lets go bronco - lets have pinstripes with a slight metallic, large air vents in the guards behind the front wheel well, painted flames coming out of them, a large spoiler on the trunk with multi coloured LEDs, leopard skin interior trim, perhaps a reflective strip across the top of the windscreen - hmm that should about do it for starters - please be careful though and make sure that its tasteful- don't make the flames too bright.
I know all forum members would just love to see a photo when you are done.

Remember kitch is the new black.
Cheers

[Garry]

I dont think Louie is suggesting he is going to pin stripe the original but is doing it to his project Pagoda that he and his mates are going to soup up and have fun with.

I am still wanting to see a photo of the speedo with the original lowest milage for a Pagoda on it.

Garry

[Louiehenry]

My lord... I'm not gonna go candy painting my original pagoda, I was talking about my project. In addition, I'm not going to go about swapping LS2 engines, supercharges, nos kits and things of that nature. I simply asked about a tasteful, well matched color line along the fender, just to give it a little piece of uniqueness guys. I can't believe by now, I haven't convinced y'all I'm not the stereotypical "jdm as ****" ricing teenager. I honestly am a little offended. I mean, sure my ideas may be a bit out of the norm, but it's not like I'm trashing this thing, and think about it, if all I wanted was a car to ruin with tasteless and pointless crap, I'd have gotten an s2000 or a miata.
What im gonna say, may come across as blunt or rude, but i dont mean it to be. I think far too many adults, not Just the ones on this forum, have forgotten why we started working on cars. We've forgotten the friendship, the bonds formed by people simply because they like the same car. We've forgotten the thrill that we all got, the first time we ever climbed into the drivers seat, whether it was behind the wheel of a Ferrari, or if you're more like me, an old beat up farm truck. I think we've forgotten the art of what we do, in favor of saying "this is better than this because I say so"
But the saddest of all, I think many of y'all have forgotten when you were in my shoes. When all you wanted was a 57 bel air, a charger, or even a pagoda. When you'd sit at lunch with friends and discuss ideas, and rush home, so excited to tell whatever adult you talked to about cars, only to be told that it was a stupid idea. And remember that promise you made yourself, that you wouldn't be like them when you were an adult.
There's a reason that the auto world is losing young people's interest in droves. It's attitude.

[kampala]

Louiehenry,

I for one, like many others, have no issue with what folks do to their cars.  The problem is not about youth ... it's about credibility.  I have not read all your posts, but some come to mind and as a collection some of us are not sure what you are really about ... here are some thoughts off the top of my head:

1. you claim to own an 8,000 or 9,000 original miles car ... Yours would most likely be the ultimate of the Holy Grails (you've probably read about them) ... and yours would have 1/6 of the mileage.  
2. you claim to do  0-60mph in times that make no sense -- not realistic --  not to mention in a car that might be worth 150 - 200K $$$ or more if anything is real.
3. You write about this ultimate holy grail as a daily driver
4. Suddenly you want a project pagoda just before xmas to fix-up in two weeks with some friends?  Not sure if I remember correctly but something like that.
5. then you buy a 300d or something and write about swapping an engine ... but then it sounds like it's not your car
6. then you "pull the trigger" on a 190
7. then you write that the pagoda is going to storage or something cause you need to haul stuff.  
8. then you write about pin-stripping a pagoda.
9. And now you are offended??

do you see why its not easy to take you seriously?  It's not about youth ... it's about credibility ...  maybe you're just playing around?   I really don't know.

You may be completely real and own the ultimate holy grail ... but no one is trying to offend you ... it's just hard to take you seriously ... so folks are having a poke ... nothing more.


my 2 cents

[garymand]

Kampala, Great, you saved me some time and stated the situation succinctly.  I was working on the same compilation of curiously odd adventures.

[georgem]

And perhaps we are also not coming to terms with the fact of what a 17year old is claiming to have done, and is doing. For someone so young to have gained so much trade skill and also fitted in an education that allows them to write in a very articulate manner is another part of the Louis riddle.

[Bonnyboy]

Not knowing Loius or what his abilities I got to remembering what I was like at 17. 

I think some are forgetting what young enthusiasm can be like.  By the time I was 18 I had restored an MGB, wrecked it and fixed it up, and then blew an engine and then fixed it up all while going to school and holding down a full time after school job.  I had also hot rodded a Monte Carlo and rebuilt a Honda Civic that was left for dead in a field an fixed up an old honda CB750K.   That was all in the era when we went out partying every Friday and Saturday night.    The math doesn't add up now but somehow it did back then.    Pulling an allnighter working on the car was an allnighter - now an allnighter is like from 8:00 pm to 9:30 pm.     It is taking me 24 years to do to my MGB what I did in a few weeks when I was 17.     

There are not as many things to get in your way when you are young - like the many jobs that many of us hold down, plus family, house chores, social events, being the family taxi, drinking beer and watching TV to name a few.   

[Louiehenry]

So in order to "clear up the mystery" as it were, I'm gonna lay out my entire life for y'all.
My name is Louis Rockefeller.
Yes my family has been known to have money, but none if it is mine, and I can't access any of it. I have no desire to. My family owns five car dealerships, including a Mercedes dealer. That's where I feel in love with cars. I was five and I spent damn near every Saturday bothering two mechanics, Jeremiah and Mikey, about every car in the shop until I'm sure they all wanted to wring my neck and throw me out. By some incredible luck, these two men took the time to teach an annoying little kid about cars, and encourage me to pursue it. They taught me all about them, and I was hooked. Moreover, I was hooked on one car. The "oldie Goldie" the w113 kept in the showroom that was at my house every time It was sunny outside. I knew it was my moms, and I knew it would have to be mine one day. I craved it for years, dreamt about it, when I wasn't up all night drawing it, looking pictures of it up, and generally just obsessing over it. I went through cars, they came and went like houseguests. Worked at the shop for free just to get to work on a car.
This isn't a money thing for me. If I could afford to, I'd do it for free. I don't do it to profit, I do it to spread the culture and love that I was shown as a kid.
I worked jobs, changed people's oil, cleaned cars, worked a ranch, cleaned horse and cow crap for $5.50 an hour. Just for the cash to support my hobby.
My ability to write eloquently, comes from my love of reading and learning. My parents instilled those values in me at a young age, and hope I never lose it.
I don't have a bank full of gold sitting around or whatever it is you guys think.
I'm a 17 year old kid, with a strong back, a good pair of shoes, and a dream. I'm not a prideful person, I'm proud. Proud of what I build, proud to work any Job that means I'm bettering myself. If God had wanted me to not work, he'd have killed me off at 5. I believe in what I do, and I chase my dream and by god I love doing it.
I'm never going to be able to come on this site and honestly say "I bought a Ferrari with daddy's money." Because I'd feel like I didn't earn that car, so I wouldn't buy it.
I'm Louis Rockefeller, you're John smith, he's Paul jones. They're names, and until we've made something of ours, that's all they'll ever be.

[Peter van Es]

Louis,

thanks for clearing that up. Actually, I'm quite handy with the internet. I figured out who you were about four weeks ago, and your IP address, location, initials, surname and so on all matched. I told some of the people here what I suspected back then. And I decided not to address you directly, because I felt you would explain sooner or later.

I think it is wonderful that a young man like yourself gets enthusiastic about these cars, wants to learn more, and keep the heritage going. I love your youthful exuberance. Your practical nature. And the fact you have access to one of lowest-mileage Pagoda's of all (but obviously everyone here wants to see a recent picture of your odometer… why not take one with todays paper next to it, "hostage style").

We have a variety of members here… all love these Pagoda's but all of us do different things with them. I rally mine, in classic car rallies. Compared to most people's Pagoda's here, it does not look very good (once you start inspecting it in detail). But it drives, and handles quite well. Look through some of my older posts and you'll see how I abuse my car… but also that it offers great photo opportunities. Others like to get theirs in "better than when it left the factory" state, preferably all original. They devote many, many hours to getting it just so, and the thought of you "pin striping" a low mileage car gets them a heart-attack, just thinking about it. There are others, like andyburns in his brilliant series, who are excellent mechanics but DIY everything. Very few however, then share their knowledge like andy for all our benefits. That's what makes this group unique.

And you are very, very welcome to the group. We'll help you, you'll learn, and we will learn from you. Oh yes, and if you ever travel somewhere else, do try to hook up with Pagoda owners wherever you go… I've met some great people through this forum, and made many new friends. So will you!

Peter van Es
President of the Pagoda SL Group

[Jonny B]

Peter,

Very nicely stated!

Indeed Louis, I will re-iterate, very glad to have you on the forum.

[Louiehenry]

I actually never planned to let that slip. If I had hopped on here spouting off about some trust find or something, and being a Rockefeller, it wouldn't have been the real me, nor would y'all have respected me

[kampala]

Louis,

Wow ... you really didn't have to disclose as much as you did  ... but it definitely clarifies  ...  and now it all adds up.  

[thelews]

Well, you didn't get any crap from me.  But, I do have one question, what is your avatar a picture of, I can't see a thing?!

[Louiehenry]

A picture of my girlfriend and I dancing from above!